The beneficial properties of fluoropolymers are well known in the art and include for example, high temperature resistance, high chemical resistance including for example high resistance to solvents, fuels and corrosive chemicals, and non-flammability. Because of these beneficial properties, fluoropolymers find wide application particularly where materials are exposed to high temperature and/or chemicals.
Fluoropolymers are generally more expensive than non-fluorine polymers and accordingly, materials have been developed in which the fluoropolymer is used in combination with other materials to reduce the overall cost of an article. Also, fluoropolymer layers find application as protective layers to protect an article against surrounding conditions such as for example in exterior applications against weather conditions. Generally, it will be required in these applications that the fluoropolymer be bonded to other materials and layers in the article. Unfortunately, bonding of fluoropolymers to other substrates is often difficult and in particular bonding to silicone layers has been found difficult. To solve this problem, tie layers have been proposed between the fluoropolymer and other materials such as a silicone elastomer, but this increases cost and makes the manufacturing more complicated.
WO 03/037621 discloses the use of an organic compound having a hydride function such as for example a silicone hydride to improve the bonding between a silicone elastomer and a fluoropolymer layer.